1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improvement in a granular or powdery detergent composition comprising an ether sulfate as a main component, whereby to reduce the tendency for said composition to cake or agglomerate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The demand for sodium tripolyphosphate is increasing, but the supply thereof is not sufficient. Accordingly, it is now important to utilize sodium tripolyphosphate as effectively as possible. As a means for reducing the amount of sodium tripolyphosphate employed in detergents without decreasing the washing power of the detergents, there has been proposed a method according to which an ether sulfate having hard water resistance is employed as a detergent active ingredient. A granular or powdery detergent composition comprising an ether sulfate, however, is sticky and it has the disadvantage that caking readily occurs, although it possesses a sufficient washing effect.
Caking of a powdery or granular detergent composition causes difficulties not only during the detergent-manufacturing steps but also when it is actually used in households. Accordingly, this caking phenomenon drastically reduces the commercial value of powdery or granular detergent compositions. Therefore, it is very important to improve the anti-caking property of powdery or granular detergent compositions comprising an ether sulfate.